This invention relates to a card game, and more particularly to a card game based on the principles of Twenty-One but incorporating more hands per hour and more opportunities for the player to win.
Conventional Twenty-One has been a staple in the casino gaming business for many years. Conventional Twenty-One involves a game of chance between a dealer and one or more players. The object is for the player to achieve a numerical count of the cards in his hand closer to 21 than the numerical count of the cards in the hand of the dealer; but if the count of the player's hand goes over 21 then the player loses regardless of the final count of the dealer's hand.
The conventional manner of play of Twenty-One is as follows: A standard deck of fifty-two playing cards is used and each card counts its face value, except Aces which have a value of one or eleven as is most beneficial to the count of the hand. Each player initially receives two cards. The dealer also receives two cards. One of the dealer's cards is dealt face down and the other of the dealer's cards is dealt face-up. In some gaming establishments, the dealer receives his two cards at the same time that each player is dealt his two cards. In other gaming establishments, the dealer initially receives only one card which becomes the dealer's "up" card. After each player has stood on his first two cards or taken additional cards, the dealer then receives his second card.
A player may draw additional cards (take "hits") in order to try and beat the numerical count of the dealer's hand. If the player's numerical count exceeds 21, the player "busts." The player may "stand" on any numerical count of 21 or less. When a player busts, he loses his wager regardless of whether or not the dealer busts.
After all of the players have taken hits or have stood on their hand, the dealer "stands" or "hits" based on pre-established rules for the game. Typically, if the dealer has less than 17, the dealer must take a hit. If the dealer has 17 or more, the dealer stands.
As the game of Twenty-One is played in most legalized gaming establishments, the conventional manner of play requires the dealer to take a hit whenever the dealer's hand is a "soft 17" count. However in other gaming establishments, the dealer stands on a "soft 17" count. The term "soft" means that the Ace is valued as a count of 11, instead of as a count of 1. A soft 17 occurs when the dealer has an Ace and a Six (or multiple cards that add up to 6). The dealer will stand on soft 18's, soft 19's and soft 20's.
After the dealer's final hand has been established, the numerical count of the dealer's hand is compared to the numerical count of the player's hand. If the dealer busts (the numerical count of the cards in the dealer's hand exceeds 21), the player wins regardless of the numerical count of the cards in the player's hand. If neither the player nor the dealer has busted, the closest hand to a numerical count of 21, without going over, wins; tie hands are a "push."
There are other procedures that are included in the conventional manner of play of Twenty-One. One well-known procedure is "Doubling Down." If the player's first two cards have a combined value of 10 or 11, the player may "double down" on his hand. The player turns both of his cards face-up in front of him and makes a second wager not exceeding the amount of his initial ante. The dealer deals to the player one additional card and the resulting three card hand establishes the numerical count for the player's hand. The most widely used "Doubling Down" rules permit the player to "double down" only on 10 or 11 counts. Other variations allow players to "double down" on 9, 10 or 11; only on 11; or on any two cards regardless of the numerical count.
Another well-known procedure is "Splitting Pairs." If the player's first two cards are a pair, the player may "split" those cards into two separate hands. His original wager is applied to one of the hands and he makes an additional wager of the same amount as the first wager for the other hand. The player receives a new second card for each of the split hands. Each of the split hands is played separately and the player proceeds by standing or taking hits until he has achieved a hand count upon which he wishes to stand or until the player busts. However, if a player has split a pair of Aces, the player only receives one new card on each Ace; unless the new card is another Ace, in which case the player may again split the Aces and receive one new card on each Ace.
The player may "double down" on either or both of his split hands if he is eligible to do so under the "Doubling Down" rules. The player may split again if he pairs up on either or both of his split hands. In most gaming establishments, a player may also split his hand if both of his initial cards are ten count cards (Tens, Jacks, Queens or Kings). For example, a player can split if he receives a Ten and a Queen, or a Jack and a King, or any combination of ten count cards. Because a numerical count of 20 is a good hand to have, most experienced Twenty-One players are reluctant to risk such a hand by "splitting".
Another well-known procedure is "Insurance." If the dealer's up card is an Ace, the player may make an additional "insurance" bet. The insurance bets are made after each player receives his first two cards and the dealer reveals his up card and before any additional cards are dealt. When the dealer's up card is an Ace, each player can wager one-half of the amount of his original ante as insurance against the dealer having a Blackjack, i.e. a two-card 21 count (an Ace and a 10 count card such as a King, Queen, Jack or Ten). If the dealer has a two-card 21 count, the player loses on his original ante but wins two-to-one odds on his second "insurance" bet. Also if the dealer has a two-card 21 count, that round of the game is over and all players lose except those who also have two-card 21 counts who tie or "push" with the dealer. If the dealer does not have a two-card 21 count, the player loses on his "insurance" bet and the round of the game continues.
As used in this disclosure and the accompanying claims, the terms "conventional Twenty-One" and "the conventional manner of play of Twenty-One" mean the game of Twenty-One as previously described and also including any of the known variations of the game of Twenty-One.
The game of Twenty-One has remained remarkably unchanged over the years. There have been a few other modifications proposed to the basic game, but none of these modifications have achieved universal popularity. For example, in the conventional manner of play of a Twenty-One game, the dealer shows one (the "up" card) of his first two cards and the other card (the "hole" card) is kept hidden until all the players have drawn to their hands. One modification involves the dealer showing both of his cards face-up before the players draw. This improves the player's odds of winning and the payout odds have been modified to adjust for this change so that the house's advantage remains.
However, conventional Twenty-One has become predictable and plays at a fairly regular pace in most casinos. The revenue generated in most casinos by conventional Twenty-One is not capable of being increased significantly without increasing the minimum wager required to be made by the player. However, many casino patrons desire to play low stakes Twenty-One in which each wager need not exceed $2, $3 or even $5 per hand.
In order to increase casino revenue for a game such as Twenty-One without making the minimum wager so high as to discourage the average casino patron, it is necessary to increase the number of hands per hour of Twenty-One that can be dealt at the Twenty-One table.
There is also a need to increase the fun and excitement of playing Twenty-One so that players will be encouraged to continue to play the game. It is desirable to create a group atmosphere at the Twenty-One table so that the players can root for each other while attempting to beat the dealer. This can be accomplished by the use of community cards that are common to each player's hand thereby giving all of the players a common interest in the success or failure of the community cards.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a game of chance based on the principles of Twenty-One in which the casino revenues may be increased by increasing the number of hands per hour that can be dealt at the Twenty-One table.
It is a further object of the present invention to create a common group interest in the outcome of each round of play so as to create a group atmosphere at the gaming table and thereby increase the enjoyability of playing the game.
It is a feature of the present invention to deal the first two cards of the "Player's" hand as a community hand that is played by all players. The first two cards forming this community hand automatically receive hits until the numerical count of the community hand is at least 12. Other numerical counts can be used such as 9, 10 or 11, but a numerical count of at least 12 is the most preferred numerical count at which the automatic hitting of the community hand stops. Each player then individually chooses to "Hit" or "Stand" on the community hand. The dealer plays his two cards in the conventional manner and winners and losers are determined in the conventional manner.
It is a further feature of an alternative variation of the present invention to initially deal one card to the dealer and one "Community Card". Then each player gets one card for his hand. The single "Community Card" is shared by both the dealer and each player. This "Community Card" along with the other card dealt to each of the dealer and the players gives the dealer and each player a two card hand. The first two cards forming each player's hand automatically receive hits until the numerical count of each player's hand is at least 12. Other numerical counts can be used such as 9, 10 or 11, but a numerical count of at least 12 is the most preferred numerical count at which the automatic hitting of the community hand stops. Each player then individually chooses to "Hit" or "Stand" on his resulting hand. The dealer plays his two cards (the first dealer's card and the "Community Card") in the conventional manner and winners and losers are determined in the conventional manner.
It is an advantage of the present invention that a new and creative game based on the principles of Twenty-One is provided that speeds up the play of the game increasing both the revenues to the casino and the opportunity for the players to win larger amounts than would be possible under the slower conventional manner of play of Twenty-One.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that a common rooting interest for the players is created by the use of community cards whereby all of the players together share in the winning atmosphere or commiserate when a losing hand occurs.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.